α,β-Unsaturated carbonyl compound

<p>α,β-Unsaturated carbonyl compounds are <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic compounds</a> with the general structure (O=CR)−Cα=Cβ−R. Such compounds include <a href="/facts/Enone/gAflh5z4">enones</a> and <a href="/facts/Enal/gAflh5z4">enals</a>, but also carboxylic acids and the corresponding esters and amides. In these compounds, the <a href="/facts/Carbonyl_group/KJ71bo3X">carbonyl group</a> is <a href="/facts/Conjugated_system/Ddx9qzox">conjugated</a> with an <a href="/facts/Alkene/RtYcS6kU">alkene</a> (hence the adjective <a href="/facts/Saturated_and_unsaturated_compounds/tde2C216">unsaturated</a>). Unlike the case for carbonyls without a flanking alkene group, α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are susceptible to attack by nucleophiles at the β-carbon. This pattern of reactivity is called <a href="/facts/Vinylogous/uBJTy7ho">vinylogous</a>. Examples of unsaturated carbonyls are <a href="/facts/Acrolein/1gdt9D3f">acrolein</a> (propenal), <a href="/facts/Mesityl_oxide/wM0pBSzq">mesityl oxide</a>, <a href="/facts/Acrylic_acid/x2l3lrI2">acrylic acid</a>, and <a href="/facts/Maleic_acid/cdMjU0Lb">maleic acid</a>. Unsaturated carbonyls can be prepared in the laboratory in an <a href="/facts/Aldol_reaction/L194Bx0g">aldol reaction</a> and in the <a href="/facts/Perkin_reaction/LKtppY2T">Perkin reaction</a>.
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α,β-Unsaturated carbonyl compound open-in-new

α,β-Unsaturated carbonyl compound